"To have the Ravens doing so well really brings out the spirit of the city. The Ravens have the grit and fight so many of us [have] had historically in Baltimore. [It's] wonderful to have the team and spirit be represented so well nationally," Rawlings-Blake said.

Per the wager, Rawlings-Blake would send crab cakes to Menino should the Ravens lose, and Menino would send to Rawlings-Blake a lobster dinner should the Patriots lose.

"The Ravens (have a) dominant defense and elite offensive weapons (that) look stronger than ever, and I am excited to watch them win the AFC Championship on Sunday," Rawlings-Blake said in a statement. "This week, in addition to showcasing the two best football teams in the NFL, Mayor Menino and I are proud to bring attention to some of greatest food in the country with this seafood smackdown -- and I look forward to seeing it delivered to Baltimore City Hall next week."

"I'm confident in the Patriots. They put together a great team that works well together on the field, but, of course, we all need to stay focused on the game at hand," Menino said in a statement. "I hope to be enjoying some Baltimore crab cakes when it's over."

Rawlings-Blake agreed to send a platter of broiled crab cakes from J. W. Faidley Seafood in Baltimore's historic Lexington Market. Legendary New York Times food critic R.W. Apple once called Faidley's crab cakes "the single best crab cake in Baltimore, if not the Western Hemisphere."